Someone knocked on the door. Clay swore under his breath.
"Go away," he murmured, too low for the visitor to hear.
"It could be Jeremy," I said.
"Jeremy wouldn't bother us. Not now."
"Elena? It's me," Paige called.
Clay lifted himself onto his forearms. "Go away!"
"I just wanted to see how Elena--"
"No!"
Paige's sigh fluttered through the door. "Stop shouting, Clayton. I'm not going to harass her. I know she's been through a lot. I only wanted to--"
"You'll see her when everyone else does. Until then, wait."
"Maybe I should talk to her," I whispered.
"If you open that door, she won't go away until she's pestered every iota of information from you."
"I heard that, Clayton," Paige said.
He snarled at the door and muttered under his breath. Something told me Clay and Paige hadn't become fast friends in my absence. Fancy that.
"Ummm, Paige?" I called. "I'm kind of tired, but if you'll give me a minute to dress--"
"She won't go away," Clay said. "You need time to relax. You don't need to be answering questions for a bunch of strangers."
"I'm not a stranger," Paige said. "Could you be a little less rude, Clayton?"
Clay was right. If I let Paige in, she'd want to know everything. I wasn't ready for that. Nor did I want to lie here while Clay and Paige argued through a closed door.
I crawled from the bed and tossed Clay his jeans. When he opened his mouth to protest, I jabbed a finger at the window, then lifted it to my lips. He nodded. As I slid into Clay's T-shirt and boxers, he eased the window open and unhooked the screen. Then, while Paige patiently waited for us to open the door, we escaped into the surrounding forest.
"That probably wasn't very nice," I said as we tramped deeper into the woods.
Clay snorted. "Won't catch me losing any sleep over it."
"I know Paige can be difficult, but--"
"She's a pain in the ass, darling. And that's being generous. The kid is barely out of school and she thinks she's a leader, pushing her way into every thing, arguing, second-guessing Jeremy. Until she met you in Pittsburgh, she'd never been within screaming distance of real danger and suddenly she's an expert." He shook his hand. "Don't get me started."
"Seems I already did."
"Nah, that's nothing, darling. Give me a few hours and I'll tell you what I really think of Paige Winterbourne. Nobody talks to Jeremy that way, especially not some little girl with an overinflated sense of her own importance. If I had my way, Paige would have been sent packing last week. But you know Jeremy. He doesn't put up with her crap, but he won't let it get to him, either." He pushed through a tangle of tree branches. "Where're we going?"
"How about a run? Even Paige wouldn't pester a wolf."
"Don't count on it."
After our run, we made love. Again. Afterward we lay in the grass, soaking up the late summer sun that pierced the canopy of trees overhead.
"You smell that?" Clay asked.
"Hmmm?"
"I smell food."
"Dead or alive?"
Clay laughed. "Dead, darling. Dead and cooked."
He heaved himself up, looked around, then motioned for me to wait and vanished into the woods. A half-minute later he returned with a picnic basket. Well, a cardboard box actually, but the smells drifting from it were definitely of the picnic variety. Laying it on the grass, he unpacked cheese, bread, fruit, a covered plate of chicken, a bottle of wine, and assorted paper and plastic eating tools.
"Picnic fairies?" I asked, then caught a whiff of scent that answered my question. "Jeremy." I grabbed a drumstick and tore a chunk from it. "I'm spoiled."
"You deserve it."
I grinned. "I do, don't I?"
We polished off the meal and the wine in under ten minutes. Then I reclined on the grass and sighed, content and sated for the first time in nearly two weeks. I closed my eyes and the first seductive tug of sleep washed over me. Sleep. Uninterrupted sleep. The perfect cap to a perfect day. I rolled against Clay, smiling drowsily, and let the waves of slumber pull me under. Then I bolted awake.
"We can't sleep out here," I said. "It's not safe."
Clay's lips brushed my forehead. "I'll stay awake, darling."
As I opened my mouth to argue, Jeremy's voice drifted from the distance. "You can both sleep. I'm here."
I hesitated, but Clay pulled me back down, entwining his legs around mine and cushioning my head with his arm. I wrapped myself in his warmth and fell asleep.
It was late afternoon when Jeremy nudged us awake. Clay grunted between snores but didn't move. I yawned, rolled over, and kept rolling until I was lying on my other side, whereupon I promptly fell back asleep. Jeremy shook us harder.
"Yes, I know you're still tired," he said as Clay grumbled something unintelligible. "But Elena needs to speak to the others today. I can't postpone it until morning."
Clay muttered under his breath.
"Yes, I know I could," Jeremy said. "But it would be rude. They've been waiting all day."
"We need--" I began.
"I brought your clothing."
"I need to brush--"
"There's a comb and mouthwash with the clothes. No, you're not going back to your room or I suspect I won't see either of you until morning. We're meeting in fifteen minutes. I'll keep it short."
The meeting was to be held in Kenneth and Adam's room. As we crossed the parking lot, I saw Paige pacing the crumbling sidewalk. Her arms were crossed, probably against the cool night air, but it looked as if she was holding in a barrage of questions she'd been waiting half a day to fire at me. Just what I need--No, that wasn't fair. Of course, Paige was anxious to speak to me. I'd been in the enemy camp. I'd seen what we were up against. It was understandable that she'd be bursting with questions about the compound, my captors, the other prisoners--Oh, God. Ruth. Paige didn't know about Ruth. The past week was such a jumble that I'd completely forgotten Paige had contacted me before Ruth died. The last she'd heard, her aunt was alive. Damn it! How could I have been so insensitive? Paige had been waiting for news of her aunt. She'd held off while Jeremy treated my wounds, given me time to shower, then came to ask about Ruth. And what had I done? I'd snuck out the bedroom window.
"I have to talk to Paige," I said.
"Stay in sight," Clay called as I jogged away.
As I approached, Paige turned and nodded, acknowledging my presence, but saying nothing. Her face was expressionless, any annoyance hidden under a veneer of good manners.
"How are you feeling?" she asked. "Jeremy says your wounds aren't too bad."
"About earlier," I said. "I'm--I wasn't thinking--it's been a hell of a day." I shook my head. "Sorry, that's a lousy excuse. You wanted to know about your aunt. I never thought--I shouldn't have--"
"She's gone, isn't she?"
"I'm so sorry. It happened after we lost contact, and I forgot you didn't know."
Paige's eyes moved from mine, turning to stare over the parking lot. I struggled for something to say, but before I could think of anything, she spoke, her gaze still fixed on some far-off point.
"I knew," she said, her voice as distant as her gaze. "I sensed she was gone, though I'd hoped I was wrong." She paused, swallowed, then shook her head sharply and turned back to me. "How did it happen?"
I hesitated. Now wasn't the time for the truth. Not until I'd spoken to Jeremy first.
"Heart attack," I said.
Paige frowned. "But her heart--"
"Welcome back!" Adam shouted from across the parking lot.
I turned to see him running toward me, grinning.
"You look good," Adam said. "Well, except for those cuts. We'll get them back for that. How are your arms? The burns, I mean. I never got a chance to explain. I didn't mean it, which I guess you figured, since Clay didn't kill me for it. Anyway, I'm sorry. Really sorry."
"To be honest, I'd forgot
ten all about it."
"Good. Then forget I mentioned it." He turned as Clay reached us. "How come you didn't take me along? I could have helped with the rescue."
"There was no rescue," Clay said, looping his arm around my waist. "While I was trying to find a way inside, Elena escaped. All I did was provide the getaway car."
"See?" Cassandra said as she joined us. "I told you Elena was a resourceful girl."
Paige rolled her eyes at the use of "girl," but Cassandra ignored her.
"Congratulations, Elena," she said, laying a cool hand on my arm. "I'm glad to see you out and looking well."
She sounded as if she meant it. I stopped myself. Why wouldn't she mean it? Because I'd dreamed that she'd counseled the others to abandon me and made a play for Clay? A dream, I reminded myself. A manifestation of my own insecurities. Cassandra's welcoming smile was genuine enough. If Clay's arm seemed to tighten around me, well, that was probably coincidence. Or my imagination.
"We should get this meeting started," Paige said. "We'll keep it brief. I'm sure you're exhausted, Elena. We won't pester you for details to night. I promise."
CHAPTER 40
LOYALTIES
At the meeting, Jeremy summarized what my escape added to our knowledge. By combining my info with Clay's, we had a good picture of the internal and external geography of the compound. Perhaps most important, we knew where to find our enemies. Given the size and complexity of the operation, it was unlikely they'd move camp anytime soon. So, Jeremy reasoned, we could take the time to plan an infiltration strategy, end the threat permanently, and release Ruth and the others.
As Jeremy said this, I realized everyone assumed Ruth was still alive. Why wouldn't they? I hadn't said otherwise.
"Ruth--uh--didn't make it," I said.
"What?" Adam's gaze darted to Paige. "You mean she--"
"She's gone," Paige said, her voice hollow and small.
"Shit." Adam walked over to Paige and put his arm around her shoulders, then looked at me. "What happened?"
Now I was trapped. Would I lie in front of the entire group, knowing they'd learn the truth after I explained everything to Jeremy? Or would I be honest and have Paige wondering why I'd lied only minutes before? How did I get into these scrapes? Better make a clean breast of it before I dug myself in any deeper.
"It's--uh--complicated," I began.
"They murdered her, didn't they?" Paige said. "I know the kidnapping must have been stressful, but she was in excellent health."
In other words, Paige hadn't bought my heart-attack story. I mentally thanked her for giving me a graceful way out and not calling me on my lie.
"Actually, no," I said. "They didn't kill her. Not the people who kidnapped us, anyway. It was one of the other captives. But it wasn't her fault."
Paige frowned. "An accident?"
"Umm, kind of, but not exactly." I inhaled. "Ruth didn't tell you every thing when she contacted you. There was another witch there. A young girl."
I told the whole story: Ruth's training of Savannah, the unexplained events in the compound, the attacks on the guards, Ruth's death, and the mayhem Savannah caused during our escape attempt.
"So you're saying this kid's evil," Adam said.
"No. She's not," I said. "She just does--"
"--evil things," Cassandra finished. "I'm sorry, Elena, but that sounds like evil to me. Whether it's intentional or not is hardly the point. We have to consider the wisdom of freeing a child with this capacity for destruction. From what I've heard, I seriously doubt any of us is capable of controlling her. Especially the Coven."
Cassandra slanted a look at Paige. The young woman's cheeks burned, and she opened her mouth as if to argue, then closed it.
"It's settled, then," Cassandra said. "We can't worry about the girl--"
"Savannah didn't do these things," Paige said quietly.
Cassandra sighed. "I understand why you'd like to think that, Paige. No one wants to believe a child capable of evil, much less condemn her to death, but the fact remains--"
"She didn't do it," Paige said, stronger now. "A witch can't do things like that. We just can't. A spell for moving an inanimate object? Yes. For moving the object with enough force to crush someone's skull? Absolutely not. The best a witch could do would be to knock a plate off the table, not hurl it across a room."
"But Eve was also a half-demon," Adam said. "We were only kids when she left, but I remember that."
"Her father was an Aspicio," Paige said. "That means Eve's power was limited to vision. She had enhanced sight and could cause temporary blindness. That's it. Besides, powers from a half-demon aren't transmitted to offspring. You know that."
A long minute of silence passed.
"Look," Paige said. "Cassandra's right. I don't want to believe there's something wrong with this girl. But would I lie to save her if it meant endangering others? Of course not. Give me credit for a little common sense. If Savannah could kill Ruth, she could kill me too."
"There was another theory," I said. "Some people thought it was a--uh--poltergeist."
"A what?" Clay said.
I scowled at him. "I'm just repeating what I heard, okay?"
"It wasn't a poltergeist," Paige said. "And yes, Clayton, such things do exist, but this isn't how they manifest themselves. Someone inside that compound was responsible. What other supernaturals were there?"
"On the opposite side?" I said. "The teleporting half-demon we met in Pittsburgh, but he left a few days ago. Plus they supposedly had a sorcerer named Isaac Katzen on staff, though I never met the guy."
"A sorcerer could do it," Adam said.
"Some of it," Paige said. "Opening the cell doors, playing with the intercom system, jamming the exits. All possible sorcerer spells. But hurling objects and unscrewing light-bulbs? No way. That requires a very specific talent."
"Telekinesis," I murmured.
"Exactly," Paige said. "Several races have varying degrees of telekinetic power, such as--"
"Such as a telekinetic half-demon," I said. A lump of ice settled in my stomach. "But she said--Damn it!" I inhaled sharply. "There was one at the compound. A captive. She said she wasn't capable of stuff like that. And I believed her. I know that sounds incredibly stupid, but everyone believed her. Besides, she wasn't even around when most things happened."
"That doesn't matter," Paige said. "A Volo, the highest level of telekinetic half-demon, wouldn't need to be present to exercise her powers. I remember hearing about one case where a Volo could find an arrow in an adjoining room and fire it into a bull's-eye with enough force to shatter the shaft into matchsticks."
I closed my eyes. "How could I have been so stupid?"
"It's not your fault," Paige said. "Like you said, everyone believed her. When people think of telekinesis, they picture a person bending a spoon, but in reality Volos might well be the most dangerous type of half-demon. They could throw a person out a tenth-floor window with out lifting a finger."
I cursed myself for having bought into Leah's whole girl-next-door routine, the displays of concern, the offers of help, the overtures of friendship. I'd believed Leah. I'd listened as she wove a web of lies and deceit around an innocent child, spreading the tendrils of doubt until Savannah herself believed she was guilty. Had Leah known about Ruth's training? Had she killed her to stop it? Whatever Leah's agenda, it involved Savannah. And I'd left them together.
Suddenly, I couldn't breathe. I staggered to my feet and ran from the room.
I heard Clay behind me. Not slowing, I loped around the motel and headed for the forest. He didn't call for me to stop or wait, just jogged up beside me as I walked into the forest.
"Paige is right," he said after a few minutes. "It wasn't your fault."
"Yes, it is. I wanted to get Savannah out. But I didn't. The moment came and I choked. I told myself that I was doing the best thing, leaving her in there, but deep down I knew better. I saw my chance to escape and I took it. To hell with everyone el
se."
"I don't believe that. If you left her behind, it's because you had to. We'll get her out when we go back."
"But it doesn't sound like we're going back anytime soon."
Jeremy stepped up behind us. "We'll return as soon as we're ready, Elena. You're safe, so I won't rush."
"But Savannah--"
"Our main objective is to stop these people, not to rescue anyone."
"But you were planning to go in for me."
"That's different. Clay and I were willing to take the risk. Everyone else was free to make their own decision. I won't risk your life or Clayton's by rushing in to rescue a stranger. Even a child."
"What if I decide to take that risk myself?"
"You're not free to make that decision, Elena. So long as you're part of the Pack, I can make it for you, and I am forbidding you to return."
"That's not--"
"Not fair," Jeremy finished. "Yes, we've been through this before. But it's Pack law. And don't threaten to leave the Pack because I will make certain you don't go back to that compound alone, no matter what rights to self-determination you claim. I take the responsibility for this decision. We'll make every effort to save this child when we return. If anything happens to her before we get there, blame me, not yourself."
I started to argue, but Jeremy was already walking away.
I didn't chase Jeremy down to pursue the matter. After ten years of living under his roof and his rules, I knew what worked and what didn't. Hounding him didn't. Once Jeremy made up his mind, the only way to change it was to erode the obstacles with logic and persuasion. Bring out the battering rams and he only doubled the fortifications. I'll admit, patience isn't one of my virtues, but I resolved to give the matter some time. A few hours at least. Maybe overnight.
"So the security system requires both a fingerprint check and a retinal scan?" Jeremy asked.
He was seated at the tiny dining table in our room. Clay and I were sprawled across the bed, Clay dozing, me trying hard not to join him.
"Uh, right," I said.
He jotted something onto his papers. "Index finger?"
"Huh? Oh, no. Sorry. It's a handprint, not a fingerprint. You grab the handle and it reads your handprint."
"We don't have to do this tonight. We'll have plenty of time later."
Not if I had anything to say about it. "I want to do it now, while it's fresh in my mind."
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